Naught all that Holds Value is Gold
by M.C.Denalde
Summary: Thranduil' wife has been long dead, but unusual circumstances surrounding her death bring her back, only she doesn't remember who she is. There will also be extensive flashbacks to how the pair met and married.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer I haven't read the books (I plan to) and part 2 of this chapter will be up this weekend with more info and any answers to questions you may have.

Legolas sat perched on top of his horse surveying the woods about him. He pierced the thick forest with his eyes, making himself appear older and more serious than he was regularly known to be. While this was not the first time Legolas had rode the paths of the forest it was the first time his father had accompanied him. It was a rarity to catch the King this far outside of the walls of the palace. Not to say the Elven King was inexperienced with the paths and woods of his own kingdom, but this was the first time he would see Legolas perform his task of protecting the forest. He was not one to hang on his father's every word and praise, but he was eager to show his father that he was capable of protecting the Kingdom.

They rode in silence among the paths, with a small company of guards and their Captain Tauriel. There had been several reports of strange winds and creatures in this part of this forest. Such accounts did not usually warrant attention, but after the disappearances of several wood elves his father decided it was time for answers.

There was indeed something wrong in the wood, it was a change so minute Legolas didn't even notice it at first. It wasn't until his father had attempted to order him back to the palace that he could sense a dark taint to the air. He refused to leave claiming that they would need him should the darkness manifested itself in some unknown force. Thranduil had relinquished to his barely adult son's logic, but not without unease.

"My King, I recognize this form of darkness. It is not unlike-" The oldest of the guard, Gorchanar, trailed off. Legolas looked at him curiously, hoping he would continue. His father nodded in response.

"If it is the same darkness then we had best not stay in one place too long." Thranduil stated before pushing his great stag forward.

So they rode on, it wasn't until they reached a small river that his father ordered them to stop for the time being. They all dismounted and allowed the horses to drink from the water. His father and the guards stood about discussing their plans of journeying on. Legolas could tell by their mannerisms that many of the guard where uneasy, especially Tauriel who came to stand beside him at the waters edge. He had never seen her fidget in the course of their time together, but she shifted uneasily from foot to foot staring into the same water he did.

"I do not like this darkness, I feel as if the air is so thick it may smother us all." She stated darkly. Legolas had originally disliked her gloomier moods, but he grew to like that she never sugar coated her thoughts. Even if her thoughts were grim ones.

"What would cause such darkness?" Legolas asked not expecting her to find an answer. She was a good captain, but she was no older or wiser than he.

"I do not know. One of the King's advisors suggested that dark magic could be at work though." She replied kicking small smooth pebble into the gentle current.

Under better circumstances Legolas would have quite enjoyed exploring the rivers edge. It had a stone bed which created little pools of water for the river's creatures to hide in. He peered curiously into the one Tauriel's rock had disrupted. Small fish danced out of its way as the water rippled violently in their small pond, he watched as the fish and the water settled from its unwelcome guest. The semi stillness returned to the water creating an almost reflective surface.

What he saw in the reflection disturbed him. His head shot up to look at the sky, his heart convulsed with fear as he looked up. Black clouds hung like heavy smoke in the air, it appeared almost living as it convulsed and moved in a way he had never seen clouds move. What was worse, the black masses almost appeared ablaze, it's core appearing like hot fire flashing angrily. Legolas heard Tauriel gasp as she followed his gaze. He felt as the others joined them in gazing up at the unusual formation.

"Is it a storm?" Legolas asked. Knowing very well that it wasn't. No one bothered to answer him, all of them silently anticipating what might happen next. For a few minutes the storm did not change, it just continued to writhe into itself. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder emitted from the center of the clouds and the mass shrank into itself. Creating a black mass so thick Legolas was sure he could have walked upon it. Light suddenly pierced through the clouds like the brightest of dawns after the darkest of nights, causing Legolas to avert his eyes. When he looked up he saw something falling from the storm's center. It took Legolas a few moments to realize that the object was a person, a small person at that. He watched slightly horrified as the person fell. It wasn't until their body hit the river with a loud slap that Legolas came to his senses. Without thinking he shucked off his weapons and boots and jerked towards the water.

"Legolas!" His father shouted attempting in vain to prevent his son from swimming out to this mysterious figure. Legolas was swift on his feet though and hopped up on the larger rocks along the shore, diving in when the water became deep enough. The water was extremely cold this late in fall and it numbed his limbs almost immediately. Luckily, Legolas was a strong swimmer thanks to his father whom had insisted upon teaching him to swim personally. He was easily able to glide through the water, even despite that he was fully clothed. he allowed the current to direct him down stream hoping the person had been directed by the current in the same manor. With a small surge of joy he saw the figure-a maid actually-drifting through the current. Her hair and clothing were light amongst the dark water of the river. Small bubbles glittered around her and stuck in her hair, casting an ethereal appearance. Legolas reached her side in a matter of seconds and gently scooped her into his arms. He pushed off the river's floor to force himself through the gentle waves. The cold air hit his face cruelly as he surfaced with the young maid. She hung lifeless in his arms, her head and neck bobbing unsupported in the water, but he knew she was breathing he could hear it even over the rush of water. He had to kick his way to the shore since his arms were immobilized. He caught sight of the guards readied at the shore to relieve him of her weight. He also saw his father watching him with a stony glare, clearly not happy with his act of heroics. Legolas was sure to get an earful from the King later on. Legolas hauled himself onto the rocks after they had taken the woman from him, he found himself incredibly tired from the small venture and wanted little more than to sprawl out there. He was in the process of rolling onto his feet when he heard his father's sharp intake of breath. Legolas looked up to find his father staring at the Elleth a range of emotions on his face so wide Legolas couldn't name half of them: disbelief, shock, and confusion were but a few. Legolas turned to look at the woman more closely. She was coughing up water and starting to regain consciousness. Her clothes like Legolas' were soaked and clinging to her small frame. She looked vaguely familiar to Legolas with her long blond hair and delicate features, but many Ellith had such features. She looked very confused and tired as her eyes took in her surroundings.

"Who is she?" Legolas asked curiously looking back up at the sky. It was not every day that beautiful she-elves fell out of the sky, she had to be special or unique to befall such a fate. His father just ignored him. He was untying the heavy cloak about his shoulders and clasping it under the woman's chin. She was starting to lose consciousness again, she would probably need to see a healer, not doubt she sustained some type of injuries just from her impact with the water.

Legolas watched in confusion as father drew the woman's face in his hands and kissed her forehead with the gentlest of care. She was completey unconscious now as the King gathered the woman up into his arms. She was completely swallowed in the large cloak making her look tiny and fragile like a doll.

"I do not understand, who is she?"Legolas questioned. As his father walked past him towards his stag. Gorchanar paused at Legolas's side looking bewildered. It was almost comical to see the normally stoic guard look so stunned.

"My Prince. It is your mother, the former Queen." The guard stated stiffly. Legolas stared at him agape, slightly annoyed at the insinuation. He could see the resemblance now, he hadn't known his mother more than a few years. He only knew her face from foggy memories of his youth and a poorly rendered portrait of her in his father's study.

"My mother is dead. What you suggest is impossible." Legolas pointed out.

"No my prince. The Queen's death was shrouded in a good amount of unusual circumstances-" the guard paused. "I was there. This however is a story you should ask our King." The guard gave him a bow and was about to mount his own horse when Legolas stopped him.

"But how do you know it's my mother?" He asked still confused.

"You will discover for your self soon that your mother has quality about her unlike any other." The guard looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's a sort of aura of light, it warms you. It's a gift that is common in her familial line." The guard smiled gently at Legolas before pulling his horse alongside the King's.


	2. Chapter 1 part 2

Thank you to all who reviewed/read/followed this story! This story is different from most of my stories where it doesn't have a definite timeline...so this should get interesting.

Gwen had finally snuck away from the party, She had waited until they were thoroughly drunk before slipping into the shadows around the campfire. Her best friend Lori had insisted Gwen come to her lake house in the woods for the week, a kind of last farewell to a most golden summer. But, despite her love of the lake and the woods, parties did wear on her. So she had stolen away to the dock on the lake. It was beautiful on the lake at night, the water looked like thick black ink that reflected everything on its surface. She could see the stars and trees and the moon from her position at the end of the dock. The world felt infinite in the moments she spent here.

She tilted her head down to look at herself in the reflective waters. She nearly laughed at her reflection, she looked like a ghost in the dress Lori had lent her. It was a gauzy floor length white gown, perfect for summer, light as a breeze, and the length though long allowed Gwen to move freely without having to worry about revealing everything. Unfortunately it was a colder night, so she had thrown a thick tan cardigan on before retreating to the lake.

She usually found solace on the lake, especially at night. But tonight peace alluded her. In a few short weeks she would move away and begin college, and she could not help but feel that her childhood was coming to a close. Although the adults in her life had always teased her and told her she never acted a child. It was true in some manor, Gwen had always been very serious and would often disappear into the woods to 'think'. Kim and Thomas, her parents often joked that it was a blessing that she was more an adult than they were. She smiled at the thought, she had been adopted on a whim by them, that was how they did everything. On a whim. Her life had been an adventure living under their care, full of last minute trips and spontaneous outings. She would dearly miss living with their light hearted souls. Her thoughts were broken by the sensation that she was not alone. She looked up and scanned the dark trees surrounding the lake expecting to see something, anything, but there was nothing. She turned her gaze back down to the water and gasped. In the water the reflection of a great white stag shown in the water. She looked up to where the stag should've been standing across the lake, but there was nothing. In a mixture of fear and wonder she stared entranced by the glowing white creature, it was unlike anything she had ever seen. Her muscles relaxed and her brain numbed the longer she stared at it.

"Gwen!" She heard Lori shout desperately behind her. Her voice was full of fear, but Gwen was strangely void of any.

She was vaguely aware of a light shove on her back, not unlike a forceful gust of wind. Her body was stiff as a board as she fell forward off of the dock. It was a strange sensation, she felt more like the water was coming to her instead of her to it, her world was moving and changing around her as she remained powerless to stop it. She didn't become afraid until she hit the water. Or rather went through it. She didn't feel cold or wet and her body didn't slow as she passed through it. It was like she had fallen off a precipice of a cliff, not the edge of a dock. She finally found movement again and flailed her arms wildly as she flew through the water like it wasn't even there. She cringed into herself as the floor of the lake approached her, but she passed through that too. She fell into a dark hole of space and just fell. She wasn't sure how long or how far she fell for, all she could sense was her own horror and a strong wind whipping her hair and clothes. She couldn't even function through her fear, or think through it or even order her muscles to move.

What could've been an eternity finally fell away. She was falling face up this time, she could see dark clouds dominating the sky. Did she come from there? She struggled to breath in the fast moving air, and prayed that she would survive the impact. If it ever came.

Finally it did, before she could even comprehend that she was seeing the tops of trees her back hit the surface. Her head and body were completely submerged before she realized the surface was water. The cold liquid hit her hard and she struggled against the current of the water. The pain of the impact didn't reach her stiff frozen muscles, but it reached her mind. She slowly started blacking out as her body couldn't handle the force of the fall, she drifted to the bottom of the water. Her fear coursed away as the current took her near lifeless body. The only emotion she registered now was a slight curiosity of what all had just transpired. She closed her eyes. Perhaps she had just fainted and then imagined it all as she drowned in her childhood lake.

She was about to let herself go to sleep when she felt a slight tugging at her side. The water disturbed itself around her, or perhaps she disturbed it? She didn't come to a conclusion before her head resurfaced the waters. She gasped in shock at the cold air, her body doing its job at preserving itself even as her mind gave up. She became aware of strong arms around her body as she moved through the water. Her body was limp as a rag doll as she was passed over to someone else. She was fully hit by the cold air as she was brought away from the water by a different set of strong arms. Someone laid her across a hard surface.

"Echuio, tolo govano ven" She heard a soft voice speak. Someone gripped her shoulders and a surge of energy went through her weakened body. Her eyes fluttered open to find a worried face hovering just above hers. She choked as she tried to breath and the same person propped her up into a better position. After several wet coughs she was able to breath normally. She looked around and found herself in a strange place. She had automatically noticed the forest was different. It was not her thick green pine tree forest, but a twisted dark wood that reminded her of the Everglades in Florida.

Only colder she thought with a shiver.

Deeply confused now she looked to the people around her, she knew immediately that they weren't human. It wasn't their innate beauty or pointed ears that alerted her to this fact, but something deeply human within her.

Terror welled up in her with tremendous force. Where was this strange forest with these strange people? She was beginning to realize her ordeal was not a creative fantasy of her own making, but perhaps something real. She looked desperately to each face hoping to find answers, they all appeared even more mystified than Her. Gwen's eyes finally landed on a silver haired one wearing an elaborate tunic. He was shedding his outer layer, a cloak? She had never seen a cloak in practical use. The silver haired man knelt with incredible grace in front of her and wrapped the thick cloak around her. She met his eyes as he tied the thick cloak in place, he had eyes the color of light aquamarine. She felt power rolling off of him, even in her half conscious delirious state she recognized that this forest was his domain and that everything in it was his. She decided that she wasn't ready to comprehend any more at the time and let go of all her control letting her exhaustion have her. But even in the darkness her confusion and fear followed her. And his eyes.

*the elvish was basically an order for her to join them in the waking world.

**She is an Elf she just doesn't realize it yet.

***the white deer/stag are often seen in myths and faerytales, they lead unsuspecting people into alternate worlds. Plus the name Gwen means white lady and Thranduil is represented by the Stagg so it's a perfect symbol.


	3. Where am I?

Many many apologies for the long wait on this story! I promise it's not dead I've just been busy!

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Gwen woke up slowly. The bed she was in felt unfamiliar, too soft and too big to be hers. She opened her eyes and immediately knew something was off in the dim lighting. This was not her room. She jerked up into sitting position to find out where she was. Big mistake. Her entire body practically throbbed in protest. She gasped as a strong wave of pain shot up her spine. Her hands fisted involuntarily into the sheets around her body.

"You shouldn't move so quickly, your body is still healing from your fall." A voice instructed at her side. She started at the voice not realizing she was being watched. She looked up to its owner. It was the silver haired man, the one who had given her his cloak.

She felt the blood run out of her extremities as she realized what this meant. Her body froze as she took in the horror of the situation that she was in. The man took her stillness as an opportunity to gently push her back onto the pillows.

So it truly wasn't a dream. The pain racking her body told her as much.

"Nestor has instructed bed rest until the majority of the bruising has gone away. He says you were lucky to not have any major injury from such a fall." The man explained as he settled himself into an armchair at her bedside.

She looked around the room in confusion. It was a dark room, the only light coming from lamps lit about the room. It was small too, other than the bed and armchair there was a table that held all types of jars and bottles.

She slowly looked back at the man, who was studying her intently. His head was propped on a hand and his legs were crossed in a relaxed fashion. Though his eyes held an intensity that were anything but relaxed.

"Where am I?" Gwen finally asked quietly. She was almost scared to ask she wasn't ready to hear that she couldn't go home. She saw sadness flicker across his face, but it was quickly replaced with a patient smile.

"You are in my Kingdom in the forest of Mirkwood, specifically in one of the many healing quarters." He explained.

Mirkwood? She had never heard of a Mirkwood before.

"Where is Mirkwood? I've never heard of such a place. Is it near Maine?" She asked desperately holding out hope that she might one day return home. She didn't even bother to hold in her rambling. He gave her a confused look.

"I have never heard of Maine before, but Mirkwood is the greatest of forests in Middle Earth." He said trying to be helpful. Unfortunately the strange words only panicking her more. Her breathing hitched and she closed her eyes trying to banish it all from her mind.

She heard the man get up and walk over to her, he gently took her hand in his. She opened her eyes to look at him, he was kneeling next to the bed looking concerned. His other hand reached forward and brushed tears off her face, tears she didn't even realize she had shed.

"I do not know where you came from, but believe me when I say that you could not be safer under any other stars. Nothing shall ever harm you as long as you are with me." He vowed. His hand was cupping her check gently. "My dearest Gwendolyn." He just barely whispered. Gwendolyn? Her confusion hit her again with full force.

"Wh-who are you? How do you know me?" She asked. He sighed in response and let his hand fall from her face.

"That may be a story for a day that you are feeling better." He paused tilting his head at her smiling gently. "I am the King of these woods, you may call me Thranduil though." He said before disentangling her hand from his. He walked to the door.

"I will send for Nestor to come and tend to your healing. Now that you are awake you will eat too." He said before promptly leaving her room. She sank back into the pillows and tried to make sense of it all.

~~~page break~~~

Thranduil exited the healer's quarters and headed towards his own office. He had arranged for Nestor to give Gwendolyn a sleeping draught. He had not meant to distress her, but he too had wanted answers to the depth of her memory. He had seen even on the bank of the river that she did not recognize him. It was now evident that she had no recollection of Middle Earth at all. At this point he was at loss on how to proceed, he had never heard of an occurrence like this.

He thought he was seeing a ghost when Legolas had pulled her out of the river, dead wives do not simply fall out of the sky. He sighed audibly and raked a hand through his hair as he walked into the study. He contemplated writing Gwendolyn's remaining family. Her parents had left after her death, sailing away in favor of dealing with the wake of grief left behind. She did have her cousins, her brothers, and of course her Aunt. Galadriel. Yes, he would write to her first, she may very well have an answer to where Gwendolyn came from, or where her memories went. He unrolled some parchment to begin writing. He had never cared much for Galadriel, but he had often found that she was a useful woman to have about when problems arose.

Her name was barely on paper before there was a short knock on the door. It opened before he could give a response. It was, not surprisingly, Legolas. His son rarely waited to be invited into his study when he had a mind to speak with him. A frown hovered over his mouth prepared to reprimand Legolas for his ill manner, but Legolas beat him to it.

"You have forbid me from seeing her? Ada, I am her son not a threat to her safety." Legolas said with a edge to his voice. Ah, yes. He knew it wouldn't be long before Legolas would try and visit his mother in the healing rooms.

"You will be allowed to see her in a few days, she simply must rest. There is no point confusing her with a dozen visitors." Thranduil explained calmly to his rarely angered son. In turn Legolas seemed to relax at the statement though he still wasn't pleased. "Until then, help me write, we need to find a way to restore her memories. Or if it is even possible." He elaborated. Legolas gave his father a long steady gaze.

"You are certain it is her?" He asked curiosity ringing in his voice. The King met his son's eyes and nodded.

"Yes I am certain beyond a doubt." He replied.

"Gorchanar said that there were unexplained events that happened on the day she died. He would not elaborate on what he meant." Legolas said leaving an unspoken question hanging in the air. Thranduil nodded. This was a conversation he had been expecting.

"We never recovered her body, that's what he meant." He said, his voice straining minutely over the words.

"How do you know she died then?" Legolas asked. He wondered briefly why he had never pushed these questions before. With a sigh the King pushed the paper away from himself, his eyebrows drew together as he forced the memory to the forefront of his mind.

"I must admit there is much I still don't understand of that day. So much went wrong, so much that was unplanned. Your mother was not even supposed to go to the battle with us. She was supposed to stay behind and keep everything in order and care for you. But many archers were wounded and killed in a different battle, against my better judgement I allowed her to come. She was to remain far away from the front lines, we had her in the tallest tree I could find on the outer half of our perimeter." He paused slightly. "The battle was almost over, what was left of the Orcs and Sauron's army was retreating. We had many casualties but we managed to pull through." He took a deep breath. "I saw her across the battle field. I don't know what possessed her to leave her position even now. She had no sword, no weapon. Even her bow was not with her. Some of our men claim the archers had been attacked in their trees, but no one could actually say what happened. As I said so much went wrong that day it was hard to discern everything. As I saw her across the field she was being cornered. Myself and several of my men tried to reach her, but it was too late, she was already being pushed off the side of the the cliff." He took a shuddering breath as he remembered seeing her disappear over the edge of the precipice. He shook himself of the memory. "We searched the mountain but never found a body. We did find the bodies of the other archers, scattered across the mountain, but no survivors." He said finishing the story. He quickly wiped and evidence of pain from his face. "It was obvious that she had been targeted, but we never did find a definite reason why someone would want her dead. Especially her over so many other powerful Elves that were also in Gundabad that day." He said.

"Perhaps some answers will come to light now." Legolas pondered.

"Indeed." His father agreed. He pushed some of the paper to his son.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~(sorry if that was boring/inaccurate. I'm not good with canon details)

Gwen woke up again hours later. She knew right away that someone had given her a drug or something. It was extremely difficult to shake off sleep, like she had taken cold medicine with a heavy sleep aid. When she was finally able to free herself of her drowsiness she searched the room for any visitors. It was thankfully empty.

She pulled the covers back from her bed and hoped down onto her feet. She had to take a moment to breath through the pain she felt from moving. Her body still aches terribly. She looked down at her body which was clad in a lacy white nightgown, pulling back the sleeves she inspected her arms which were covered in purplish bruises. She grimaced as she remembered the fall into the river, it really was a miracle that she had survived. Now if she could just find a way home that would be the perfect miracle.

Gwen was rarely ever one to rely on miracles though, so she would have to find a plan more reliable. She leaned against the bed as she thought through the idea of how to get home.

The main problem was that she didn't know where she was. The only places she knew here was this room, and the river she had landed in. Perhaps her best plan would be to go back to the river? And do what? It was a seriously flawed and stupid plan, but it was all she had so it would have to do. She looked around the room for her clothes, but couldn't find them. Instead she found a light pink robe, that was made of a very light fabric. She threw it on and buttoned the tiny little clasps in place. At least she was more covered than just wearing a white night gown.

She then approached the door slowly wondering if it would be locked or guarded. The man, Thranduil, had said she was in healing rooms, surely they wouldn't be guarded or locked. She gently placed her hand on the knob and quietly turned it, she pulled it open just a crack and peeked out. The hallway was completely empty. She opened it a little wider and darted out.

She went down the hall and noted that like her room the halls were also very dimly lit almost like it was in a basement with no windows. A very large ornate basement she marveled as she looked around. It was huge, an entire city.

As she moved into a larger hallway it looked as if she was correct about the basement. She could see paths winding up towards windows and what looked to be the roots of trees. How strange a place. At least now she knew that to leave she must move up instead of down, as was the case for every other building she had been in.

She only made it a few more hallways before coming across a person. It startled her so badly to see someone that she didn't think to hide or run. She hadn't heard him come at all, his walking had been completely silent. The other person seemed just as surprised as she. He was a young man with silver hair and very clear blue eyes. He had very tall strong build, but he was also quite lean. She vaguely recognized him from somewhere, but couldn't quite place where. He appeared to be at a loss of words for a few moments before he finally approached her.

"What are you doing outside of the healing ward? You are too injured to be wandering the grounds." He said as he placed his hands on her shoulders as if to keep her in place. He looked her up and down. "You aren't even wearing shoes." He said slightly astonished. He quickly pulled her into a slow walking pace. "I will take you to my father's study, he will make sure you aren't straining yourself." He explained. Gwen opened her mouth to protest. She felt perfectly alright besides some mild pain and did not need to be coddled. However the words died away in her throat.

The young man pulled her to the entrance of a very large door and knocked before pushing it open. Behind the large desk was the silver haired man again, Thranduil. She hadn't realized that the two were father and son, but she could see the resemblance now. Except the son's eyes had a lighter color to them, more like silver. He must get that from his mother.

"Legolas?" Thranduil directed towards his son. He stood abruptly when he saw Gwen hovering behind him.

"She was wandering the south hall. I found her on my way to join the guard for patrol." Legolas explained. Gwen looked between the two men not sure what to say or do. They continued to talk as if she wasn't in the room, switching to some language she could not understand. She let the words wash over her feeling very out of place. She didn't have to speak the strange language to know they were talking about her. She stood patiently until they finally switched back to plain English.

"Go to your patrol, she can stay here." Thranduil told his son. Legolas gave his father one meaningful look before nodding and leaving the room. Gwen felt like she had missed something terribly important before the door clicked shut behind him. She looked back at Thranduil who was still standing.

"What were you doing out of the healing ward Gwendolyn? You shouldn't be moving around yet?" He asked gently, almost conversationally as he lowered himself back into his chair. Gwen ignored his question and opted to change the subject. Even though he didn't seem mad, it might be awkward to explain why she was trying to find the front door out of this place.

"Who is Gwendolyn?" She asked. She had twice heard him call her by that strange name even though she hadn't offered her name to him. He looked perplexed for a moment as he took in her question.

"Your name isn't-" He started.

"It's Gwen. As far as I know it's always been Gwen." She explained. Her parents had always called her that, though she was adopted so maybe her birth certificate said otherwise. Thranduil was frowning at this new piece of information.

"Gwendolyn was my wife." He said pausing to gauge her reaction. A wash confusion came over Gwen. She didn't understand why he would be calling her by the name of his wife. She fiddled with the sleeve of her robe as she tried to make sense of it. She was about to ask another question when she saw his gaze flicker to the wall behind her. She turned. Above a small fireplace was a portrait of a small family. She automatically recognized Thranduil standing tall and proud behind a seated woman. The woman was holding a small child with silvery locks who was obviously a very young Legolas. Gwen finally looked at the woman. With a start she realized that she was looking at herself. A new wave of confusion and fear hit Gwen and she finally caught up to Thranduil's thoughts.

He thought Gwen was his wife.

"No." She said in a panicky voice. She felt the color drain from her face. "No, that's not me." She protested her voice quavering. Thranduil stood up to approach her fearing she would faint. She took a shaky step backwards before her knees buckled from under her. Thranduil caught her before she fell and pulled her into a standing position, though he supported most of her weight. He gave an almost inaudible sigh before picking her up and moving her to an armchair by the fireplace.

She was still very conscious as she watched him move back to his desk. He didn't say anything else, not that there was anything to be said. He would believe what he wanted to believe and she would deny it. She was glad he didn't push the topic though. She watched him as he shuffled through papers and books, obviously doing some kind of work. She wandered briefly what kind of work Kings did, but didn't voice her question. Eventually, with a mixture of boredom and exhaustion, she fell asleep in the plush arm chair.

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Super long chapter for my standards. I'm not sure I'll write from Thranduil's point of view again, I'm not entirely happy with the way he turned out. Let me know what you think though.

And on a side note would anyone be interested in an M. Twitter or a tumbler? I've never used tumbler but I've heard it's popular. I thought about making one so y'all can know I'm not dead even though I'm not writing hahaha.


	4. Gwendolyn

Okay a bit of a preface, this chapter is going to kick off the flash backs of how Thranduil and Gwendolyn met, the best way to tell if your in flash back or not is that one is Gwendolyn and the other is Gwen. I will try and give y'all warning if the chapter is a flashback or not too. Anyway enjoy :)

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Gwendolyn sighed deeply as she gazed at the thick canopy of trees shielding her from the sky. They had not yet arrived into the kingdom of Greenwood and already she hated it. She simply could not imagine herself living without the bright rays of the sun. And if the stories were true she would barely see daylight in the dim halls of King's palace.

No. The very idea made her sad, she would have to find a way to be sent back to Lorien. Perhaps she could convince her mother. Her mother could sometimes be swayed by frivolous things, it had practically devastated her to have find new suitors for Gwendolyn. Though Gwendolyn doubted she would like her mother's choices in Greenwood anymore than she had in Lorien. The hard person to convince would be her father.

She grimaced at the thought of that conversation. He was too much like Galadriel, his sister, to be swayed easily.

But then again Gwendolyn had a bit of their stubbornness running through her veins too. Her father had commented many times how Gwendolyn reminded him of a young Galadriel. Unfortunately, Gwendolyn's likeness to Galadriel is what got her sent to Greenwood in the first place. Among Galadriel's stubbornness and charm she had also inherited many of her abilities.

Even in Lorien, the safest city in middle earth, Gwendolyn had become a target. She hadn't even noticed it at first, a dark energy following her, surrounding her. But Galadriel had sensed it around her young niece and sought to destroy it. At first she had succeeded and Gwendolyn was free to practice magic and grow into a young maiden. But as her abilities grew under Galadriel's teaching the darkness returned. It didn't attach itself to her as it had before, but she could feel it following her, like a shadow. It drained her energy, fed off of her like a parasite. As Gwendolyn's power grew greater the darkness also grew stronger. Eventually Galadriel had instructed her to stop using her abilities, but that hadn't worked either. Simply being around Galadriel made Gwendolyn's power grow, they were like twin spirits. Galadriel was a sun and Gwendolyn was the flower that grew from its light.

They had carried on like that, trying to maintain a normal life. Galadriel would frequently try to banish the darkness from her, but it always returned. Until one day Galadriel looked into her mysterious mirror and saw something that gave her cause to send Gwendolyn away. She refused to tell her exactly what was to come, but if Gwendolyn stayed and her powers continued to grow bad things would happen. Her very life was at risk and that was enough for Galadriel to send away her brother's family and favored niece.

Gwendolyn had despaired at this. In many ways her bond to Galadriel ran deeper than it did to her parents. Being sent away felt like the ultimate abandonment. However, Gwendolyn knew better than to go against the advice of Galadriel, so with her parents she went into the forest of Greenwood.

Her two brothers Lenchon, and Eiliandor had left a week before them to bring the majority of their belongings. She would be eager to get their opinion of Greenwood from them. She had no doubt that two had charmed their way through half the kingdom by now.

She could tell their small group was getting close now, if it weren't for the path her horse would take hours to navigate the thick forest. Without warning they heard the thundering sound of horses coming towards them. Gwendolyn froze gathering power around her as easily as one intakes air to breath. She then saw Elvish guards break the trees, woodland elves, they were here to escort them to the palace. She exhaled and released the power back into the air. With its release she felt the cold presence of the darkness, soon it would just be a distant memory.

"We come on behalf of the King of Greenwood who welcomes you to his kingdom." One of the guards announced to her father who was now at the head of their company. "You will meet him for an audience as soon as you have settled your belongings." The guard said swiftly. Her father nodded. It would be rude to do anything but see the King after entering his Kingdom.

The guards turned the horses and led them through the outskirts of the kingdom. Most of the Kingdom dwelled under ground in the mountain, but several homes and farms were outside. Like the mountain she could barely tell that anyone lived on the land. The homes and farms blended seamlessly into the trees and land. It fascinated Gwendolyn to see such dwellings. She was gazing at her new home when her mother pulled her horse alongside her.

"Gwendolyn, my dear, you are to be your absolute most charming around the King. It is important that we gain his favor in this Kingdom." Her mother said solemnly.

"Of course Naneth." Gwendolyn answered not caring enough to ask why her mother wished to gain such favor. Her mother could barely live if she didn't have to something to plan and work towards.

"It will be quite a feat to start new, but I am determined we interact with high society." Her mother went on.

"I am sure we will Naneth. After all Ada's family is well known in Middle Earth." Gwendolyn comforted. They reached the stables before her mother could reply. Gwendolyn passed her horse to a stable boy before following the rest of their company to the main gate of the mountain. They were a small group, only three families, but already their arrival had caused quite a stir. People milling about had stopped to look at them, but none approached to say anything. Gwendolyn stuck close to her father, she was wary of this place and its people. She didn't know them and it would be wise to avoid getting lost.

Gwendolyn looked in awe at the interior of the palace. The halls were dim, yes, but beautiful none the less. They followed the guard along the winding path and to the throne room. At the end of the path Gwendolyn could see the massive structure of the King's throne. She swallowed thickly as they approached, if he did not like them would he send them away? Her father stepped before the King and bowed solemnly.

"My King, Lord Finrod and his house." A guard announced, he completely glossed over the other families with them, though they could probably count as a part of their 'house' since they all hailed from Lorien. Whether they felt slighted or not they all bowed or curtsied respectively. She was finally able to get a decent look at the King as she lifted her head. He was like most Elven men, handsome, beautiful even, but with an edge to his expression that echoed his position as King. He radiated with that power as he surveyed them. Gwendolyn knew this was not a person to awaken animosity in. She would have to behave herself in this Kingdom, if she stepped out of line she wouldn't be sent to an audience with her doting Uncle and Aunt. She had to swallow a laugh at the thought of this King dealing with Gwendolyn when she was a child.

She froze slightly as the King met her eyes. She had totally tuned out the idle introductions and prayed a question had not been directed towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief as one of their family friends spoke up about his work with metal. She did her best to listen this time, it would be unbelievably embarrassing if she was called out on her boredom, which some nobility did not hesitate to do.

"And what of your daughter Lord Finrod?" The King said his eyes drifting back over to hers. She could see the barest spark of curiosity in his distant expression. She glanced at her father's back wondering what he would say about her.

"My youngest, and beloved daughter Gwendolyn." He threw a fond glance over his shoulder at her. "She is excellent with art and music, but she has been proclaimed the best dancer in Lorien." Her father said proudly. The King sat forward amusement at her father's boasting played across his face.

"Indeed? I will have to dance with you myself to see your talent." He said meeting Gwendolyn's eyes again. She felt a small blush creep into her cheeks. She was not used to such attention.

"Of course my King." She said ducking her head slightly. When she looked up he was wearing the barest of smiles.

"Your company is free to get settled in my kingdom now Lord Finrod. Should you need anything ask one of the servants or guards." He said dismissing them. As they turned to leave Gwendolyn's mother was hovering at her elbow.

"It would appear you've caught the King's attention." Her mother said the moment they were out of earshot.

"I have done no such thing." Gwendolyn protested. "No man would look twice at me while wearing riding clothes covered in dirt." She continued.

"Ah yes, but even covered in dirt you garnered more attention than Lord Thavron's daughter." Her mother said gesturing to the red headed maiden that had accompanied them. She was only a little older than Gwendolyn, but they had never met before their journey to Greenwood. She looked sad and slightly annoyed.

"But their daughter is not my concern. Let's find our rooms and get settled."

The rooms were not easy to find, Gwendolyn was sure she would get lost many times before learning the layout of the palace. As it held at least half of the kingdom in the mountain the halls were absolutely sprawling. When they did find the rooms, she was positively charmed by them. Her room was very small with no window, but to make up for the lack of light the walls were covered with colorful tapestries. They also had a small living area between her parents and her brother's rooms. It did have a small sky light and a gurgling fountain where they could collect water for bathing and drinking. Their 'hall' also had four other families living on it with a shared bathing room and kitchen. While it was quite unlike anything she had seen before she felt safe here hiding under all the stone. She smiled to herself perhaps she would like it as much as Lorien one day.

* * *

A bit of an abrupt ending but I had to cut this off before it became too long. Let me know what you think!


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